Get Yo Flick On

Besides being your basic nerd, I am exceptionally so for Flickr.com. Why you ask? Umm why not is the better question. I mean if you need to find a place to host all of those photos you took with your cell phone of yourself in the mirror and making your "I-might-have-loose-morals" myspace profile picture...then by all means there are a ton of other options out there for you....

But Flickr.com is the real deal in helping photographers of all stages in hosting, development, workflow, business and community. This is how I get my "Flick-ON!"

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Shooting Outdoors Can Be A Nightmare....

A common mistake I see a lot of people make that are new to photography is their technique when photographing people outside during the day...or lack of. If you do not thinking understanding and controlling light is essential to photography...stop, put your DSLR on craigslist and go find a nice point and shoot.

Photography is light.

When you look at a photo all you are seeing is how light is reacting to the subject you are shooting. This biggest improvement you can make to your photography is understanding it. If you do not understand anything else about photography except controlling the light source then you are already a head of the game. When you are using studio lighting or off camera flashes you can understand the source of light and evenmore so have all of the control of the source.

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Welcome to PhotoJunkie

I should maybe preface this blog from the get go.

I am not a professional photographer. I will never claim to be a professional photographer.

I know maybe 1% of all there is to learn about photography, post production, the business (definitely the business!!) lighting, and all that encompasses this journey I have been on since I first purchased a Nikon D80 a little over two years ago.

With that being said though, my googling-youtubish-obsessive compulsion with needing to know more and more everyday has lead to quite a bit of content that I want to share with anyone that wants to listen. And that is not to say I feel I am at a place to stop learning more. Some of my favorite photographers, whom I do consider professionals, are constantly posting new techniques and ideas. If those guys are still learning than I have a super long way to go.

Out of everything I have learned to date though the most important pieces of advice I can give (and this goes for photography, editing, business, tech stuff, etc) is

JUST FUCKING DO IT!

Do not let anyone tell you aren't good enough, take in criticisms from those whose work you admire, do not ever believe that school or college will make you a better photographer, and simply try it all. The only way you are going to get to the next level is by learning, researching, constantly shooting, studying, reading, and never ever stopping. The saying:

"It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you never stop"

completely rings true with not just photography, but for any goals you set for yourself to succeed. Only in photography, I see a lot of people not following this advice. Too many times you see people mistake talent for technological advances in cameras and lenses and software programs. Too many times people are rushing to call themselves professionals and see them worrying about pricing and business and putting the art second.

Over the course of the last couple years I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of other photographers in the same boat as me. People that didn't go to school for photography (still the biggest waste of money in my mind, more on that later of course) or have friends that are photographers. The only friends I could turn to had .com for a last name. There is SO much content out on the internet on how to become a better photographer I thought I would offer the good I have learned from it. (I will spare you the bad...or at least make fun of it randomly, because there is a lot of bad advice out there and/or assholes photographers that think they are the only person in the world to figure it out.)

With that all being said I welcome you to PhotoJunkie.

-Ryan Daley